Both Wednesday's CBS Evening News and Thursday's NBC Today
offered full reports on President Obama being criticized for attending
Democratic Party fundraisers at a time of international crises. ABC
continued to remain silent on the growing controversy.

On Evening News, White House correspondent Major Garrett
reported: "President Obama arrived late today in Los Angeles for his
fifth meeting with big donors in two days." A clip played of Garrett
challenging Press Secretary Josh Ernest: "Could you address what many
Americans believe is either the trivial or unnecessarily-distracting
obligation of presidents – including this one – to raise money in the
course of conducting important matters of state?" [Listen to the audio]

After the clip, Garrett continued:

Since taking office, President Obama has attended 398 fundraisers –
nearly twice as many as his predecessor, George W. Bush, at the same
point in his presidency.

After the Malaysia Airlines disaster, President Obama kept to his
fundraising schedule in New York, opting to call world leaders from Air
Force One. The President did not cancel fundraisers in Texas earlier
this month, despite calls for him to see firsthand the immigration
crisis on the southern border.

After NBC Nightly News failed to cover the story Thursday night, on Friday's Today,
co-host Savannah Guthrie told viewers: "And of course we've got this
crisis in Ukraine. Also the heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas
raging on....President Obama getting some flak from lawmakers for making
a west coast fundraising trip as all of this is unfolding."

In the segment that followed, correspondent Peter Alexander explained:
"With the world's eyes glued to a pair of international crises in
Ukraine and the Middle East, President Obama is taking heat for sticking
to his travel plans. Greeted by protests even as he attends a series of
political fundraisers during a three-day west coast swing."

Neither ABC's World News nor Good Morning America mentioned the topic on Wednesday or Thursday.

Friday's CBS This Morning expanded beyond the fundraising
criticism to question Obama's broader foreign policy. Co-host Charlie
Rose played a clip from his PBS show of an interview with former Defense
Secretary Robert Gates. Rose wondered: "Are any of these events
happening because there was, as some of the Republican critics would
like to suggest, a perception of weakness on the part of the President?"

Gates replied: "I personally do not believe that. I think that there is
a perception around the world of the U.S. disengaging....But look, the
reality is withdrawing from or disengaging from two wars, both of which
end without a clear-cut victory, is a tricky business to avoid giving
the impression you're disengaging from the rest of the world."

Later on This Morning, fellow co-host Norah O'Donnell asked
retired General Jim Jones: "General, what I hear is that some of
[Russian President Vladimir] Putin's actions are because he senses
weakness. Weakness on the part of President Obama to act in Syria. And
so, that when he sees a vacuum, he acts. And that, that may be driving
some of his actions. How do you see it?"

Jones, a former adviser to Obama, began: "Well, we – there's no
question that the United States' influence in various parts of the world
is – is having some difficulties." O'Donnell pressed: "But does he
sense weakness?" Jones provide a response similar to that of Gates:

I don't know. I mean, you'd have to ask him. But there are certain
things – there are certain events on the planet that people talk about.
Syria, our failure to be stronger in Syria is one. Our reaction to the
Arab Spring is another. It kind of depends on who you talk to, but
there's no question that as we try to disengage from two different wars
and the aftermath of – the aftertaste, I should say, of those words is
still with us, it colors the perception of the United States, and as a
result, the President.

Rose observed: "Yeah, but I mean, if I was president it would be
important to know what people like you thought about his [Putin's]
intention. And if he perceived us to be weak, to do something to
eliminate that perception."

Here is a full transcript of Major Garrett's July 23 CBS Evening News report:

6:39 PM ET

SCOTT PELLEY: With battles raging overseas, President Obama shuttled
among fundraisers here at home – two of them today. He has his eye on a
battle three months away – the midterm elections. And with the
possibility of Democrats losing the Senate, the party needs money right
now. But is now the best time to be on the road? Here's Major Garrett.

MAJOR GARRETT: President Obama arrived late today in Los Angeles for
his fifth meeting with big donors in two days. White House Press
Secretary Josh Earnest says this fundraising swing has not distracted
the President from crises at home and abroad.

[To White House Press Secretary]: Could you address what many
Americans believe is either the trivial or unnecessarily-distracting
obligation of presidents – including this one – to raise money in the
course of conducting important matters of state?

JOSH EARNEST [WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY]: My suggested standard
would be, whether or not those political activities interfere with the
President's constitutional responsibilities as the commander-in-chief of
the United States of America.

[CBS News Graphic: "Fundraisers: President Barack Obama, 398; Pr

esident George W. Bush, 218"]

GARRETT: Since taking office, President Obama has attended 398
fundraisers – nearly twice as many as his predecessor, George W. Bush,
at the same point in his presidency.

After the Malaysia Airlines disaster, President Obama kept to his
fundraising schedule in New York, opting to call world leaders from Air
Force One. The President did not cancel fundraisers in Texas earlier
this month, despite calls for him to see firsthand the immigration
crisis on the southern border.

GARRETT: Scott, the White House insists that the President's
fundraisers do not interfere with his obligations as commander-in-chief
and that he carries out all those obligations, and would return to the
White House if dire circumstances required. A senior official told us
the President resists cancelling fundraisers or any part of his public
schedule to avoid alarming the country during times of uncertainty.

PELLEY: Major Garrett, still at the White House tonight – thank you, Major.

Here is a full transcript of Peter Alexander's July 24 report on Today:

7:08 AM ET

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And of course we've got this crisis in Ukraine. Also
the heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas raging on. And now some
political questions. President Obama getting some flak from lawmakers
for making a west coast fundraising trip as all of this is unfolding.
Let's go to NBC national correspondent Peter Alexander. He's at the
White House for us. Peter, good morning to you.

PETER ALEXANDER: Savannah, good morning to you. President Obama is
going to return back here to the White House late tonight, but not
before squeezing in another political fundraiser this morning in L.A.
and a speech about the economy. And some are questioning the timing of
the President's trip and the message that it may send.

With the world's eyes glued to a pair of international crises in
Ukraine and the Middle East, President Obama is taking heat for sticking
to his travel plans. Greeted by protests even as he attends a series of
political fundraisers during a three-day west coast swing.

REP. PETER KING [R-NY]: The bottom line is President Obama should be
showing leadership, not raising money. Symbolism is essential to
leadership.

ALEXANDER: Even some Democrats have questioned the White House's approach.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN [D-CA]: I'm not going to tell the President what
to do, but I think the world would very much respect his increased
attention on this matter.

ALEXANDER: Sensitive to sending the wrong message, the President
passed on an invitation to appear on Jimmy Kimmel this week. But top
advisers defend Mr. Obama's ability to juggle multiple responsibilities
at once.

BEN RHODES [DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR]: The fact that he's
doing some events on the west coast related to fundraising takes nothing
away from his ability to get on the phone with a foreign leader if he
needs to.

ALEXANDER: The President is also being challenged for failing to stand
up more aggressively to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Time
magazine's new headline reads, "Cold War II; The West is losing Putin's
dangerous game."

RHODES: I don't understand what Vladimir Putin is supposed to be
winning. He's got to be the most isolated leader in the world as we
speak.

ALEXANDER: Still, for President Obama, raising money for Democrats during a time of crisis carries political risks.

STU ROTHENBERG [POLITICAL ANALYST]: The more he does it, the greater
the risk that he looks detached and partisan, that he's really not doing
the job he was elected for.

ALEXANDER: Not the first president to face this type of criticism and
certainly won't be the last. Aboard Air Force One last night, White
House aides told us that President Obama is president twenty-four hours a
day, the communications allow him to do his job anywhere. And they
highlight the fact, Savannah, that during his flight to L.A. the
President spoke to his own Secretary of State John Kerry, who is still
in the Middle East pressing for a cease-fire.

GUTHRIE: Alright, Peter Alexander at the White House, thank you so much.

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